Last Saturday marked a big milestone, my very first craft fair! It was at Elmsfest in Elmswell, Suffolk. If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be setting up a stall of my own, I never would have believed it.
The Morning
I honestly had the best day. I felt thoroughly prepared (you can read my pre-fair nerves in the blog post the night before here), though I did wake up slightly nervous… and a little queasy thanks to a rather odd dinner choice the night before (courgette orzo is officially off the menu 
). A quick cycle and a peppermint tea later, I was ready to take on the day.
I packed up the car and headed to Blackbourne in Elmswell around 9.30, where I met my non-official sister-in-law in the car park (she runs her own Etsy shop too: Just Funky Charms). We were shown where to set up, and then came the mammoth task of building my first ever stall! I’ll definitely get quicker with practice, but when I finally stepped back and saw it all put together, I felt so elated. (See pic below 
).
All Set Up & Ready To Go!
Elmsfest officially opened at 12.00. My partner’s family turned up early and kindly bought a patch, which turned out to be a very useful test run. We quickly discovered the card machine wasn’t playing ball thanks to dodgy signal, and I hadn’t brought a cash float. Cue my partner sprinting to the Co-op for emergency change. Lesson learnt: always have a float!
My first few sales were to friends and family, I’ll never stop being grateful for their support, but I was desperate for that first sale from a stranger. The next hour or so was full of compliments and people taking my card (which was amazing), but still no purchases…
My First Sale Beyond Friends and Family
Then lunchtime arrived. My sister had fetched us some wraps (not the easiest food to juggle behind a stall), and suddenly, bingo! My first real customers.
The very first was a young lad, maybe around 15, who asked about one of my prints. Wrap in hand, I told him the price. His mum appeared and asked if he was sure, and he absolutely was. He chose my Comma butterfly print, and it was the sweetest moment. I was truly elated!
Within ten minutes, still mid-wrap, a couple came by and picked up a pack of my waterproof vinyl stickers. Over the moon doesn’t even cover it.
Those two sales meant the world to me, not just because they were sales, but because they were for the art side of my business, the free-motion embroidery designs that are at the heart of Wild Minder. That’s what really matters to me.
One lady came very close to buying one of my large Scrappy Bags too, though no luck this time. Still, the amount of lovely compliments on my bags and jackets really kept me smiling.
The Wrap Up
By the end of the day I was exhausted. I’d definitely underestimated how tiring it is to stand on your feet all day, smiling at every passer-by. But I came away with so much. A few lessons learnt:
- Always carry a cash float
- Make pricing clearer and have a quick-reference sheet behind the stall
- Prepare for wind (thankfully my next fairs are indoors!)
All in all, I truly had the best day, and I can’t wait for the next one.
Until next time,
Lucy
Founder of Wild Minder 